Commitment – Stand Up, Join Together

on Nov 18, 2016 • 2:25 pm

Commitment is what keeps coming to my heart and mind as I continue to deal with the reality of the election results.

Commitment to take a stand for truth and kindness, minority rights and the environment, to be a light in the darkness, to stand and act from love and compassion instead of hate and derision, for inclusion not division.

Commitment to show up and be counted, and not to fade away in despair or resignation.

Commitment to grow personally, to expand our awareness, consciousness, to nourish our soul and spirit, to be all that we can be, while we are here on this precious planet at this time of disruption and new beginnings. Much has been written, eloquently, passionately, there has been ranting some yearning, some polemic, some poetic. In this post I offer links and responses that have spoken to me. I will keep it brief, because we’re all in overload right now. I invite your comments, your responses, your hopes and fears, your suggestions and sharing.

Leonard Cohen died last week. I treasure this eulogy, called Darkness and Praise. “Leonard had an unusual inflection for darkness: He found in it an occasion for uplift.”In this time of darkness, let us commit to uplift and praise. “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” Cohen once told an interviewer that those words were the closest he came to a credo. The teaching could not be more plain: fix the crack, lose the light.”

Mirrors and Shadows: There has been ample opportunity to see the shadow sides of people in the spotlight. There is no hiding now. The mirror is in front of us. We all have the opportunity to, no we must, face our own shadow sides… our own racism and fear of the other, the different. These next months must see a deepening of our commitment to do our own personal work.

It is well known that our political and economic systems are broken. Hillary Clinton would not have fixed them. This complete disruption to the old order contains within it exciting possibilities. Creating the new out of the broken old is up to us. In crises there are opportunities. John Perkins, the author of (New) Confessions of an Economic Hitman, outlines, clearly and succinctly, our responsibilities and opportunities in helping to create a more equitable system, where corporations no longer have a strangle hold. Check it out: “What You, Personally, Can Do to Fix a Broken System“, and commit to some actions that work for you.

A reality check thatprotests are not enough. A new order is needed. “The difficult path of merging innovative protest, social movements and electoral parties is the only viable way forward. And with only two years until the next election in America, there is no time to waste” Commitment!

Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Your feedback, forwards, tweets, likes are most welcome.